Monday, 28 December 2015

For my DT card I cut the London skyline using X-cut manual dies, and cut 2016 on my Silhouette electronic cutter. I tried to create the effect of a firework display using a Sizzix embossing folder and gold mirror card.

I hope you'll come over and see what the rest of the DT have made, and join in the challenge. Happy New Year!

Saturday, 26 December 2015

The fish stamp I've used here was the last stamp left in my Empty Box Project box (although there are some stamps I've used that I haven't blogged yet).

To be honest, I nearly cheated and just put the stamp back in my ordinary stamp storage. It's a nice stamp and I felt sure I would find a use for it eventually...but hold on - that was exactly why I set myself the challenge - I've had it for years and never used it!

I found a scrap of watercolour card on my desk - I'd put it through my die-cutting machine earlier to try out an embossing folder and thought the pattern might work as seaweed. I stamped the fish in Versamark ( as I couldn't really see where I was stamping, it's a bit more random than expected) and embossed in white pearl. Then I watercoloured it in Distress Inks - it wasn't really working until I used the darker Chipped Sapphire colour, then the fishes popped out.

In the end, I quite liked the effect - it reminds me of batik.

On New Year's Day 2015 I blogged about my big box of unused stamps. I have used many of them, binned some of them (for failure to stamp well enough, mostly) and filled a bag for my colleague's little girl...and now, almost a year later, my box is empty!

I hope you're enjoying the holiday season. I like to do a bit of Christmassy crafting actually AT Christmas, so here's my first card for next Christmas.

I used a pre-coloured image from Debbi Moore Santa Claus CD and cropped most of it away to leave just the lower leg and feet. Then I cut the hohoho on the Silhouette cutter. I added glitter to the fur, a scrap of patterned paper, embossed the card base and added a brad.

Friday, 25 December 2015

Yes, it's Christmas Day but some people will still insist on having babies! ( My daughter is a midwife and will be working tonight.)

We have a Christmas baby on the Make My Monday design team, so I'd like to say Happy Birthday to my lovely teammie Caz. This is the card that I sent to her and hopefully she has already received. (It's less blurred in real life!).

I used Clearly Besotted stamps (not sure where the sentiment is from) and one sheet of patterned paper, which I paper-pieced with. I layered a torn piece of embossed vellum behind the image.

Thursday, 24 December 2015

Here are some Christmas presents that I know my 18-year-old twin nieces will appreciate! To make the money gift more special , I cut holders on my Silhouette, using a free cutting file from Daniela Dobson. I used double-side Cosmo Cricket paper and decorated with diecuts I had hanging around.

Tuesday, 22 December 2015

Did I mention my daughter likes to 'challenge' me to make cards at short notice? This time she needed 'a new home card for my friend who's moved into a cottage in a village' . 'When do you need it for?' 'Five weeks ago'.

The cottage and cat stamps were just about to be discarded from my Empty Box Project box They are part of a 'build a country scene' set that was free with a magazine and I didn't think I would use them. The challenge was to make a card suitable for a 21st c young woman.

Enter my old friend - paper-piecing- with bright, colourful scrapbook paper, a sentiment from Little Clare, some scribbly colouring using markers, a glittery banner ( cut from the scrapbook paper and stickled), and a flower with a embellishment saying 'new' (very old from my stash).

Monday, 21 December 2015

I'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to my wonderful Inkspirational team-mate, Shauna. This is another card that I hope has beaten the Christmas post and made it across the Atlantic in time.

As well as being a fabulous crafter, Shauna loves to read, so I chose this Gorjuss stamp of a girl on some books. In order to not look like any of the Christmas cards she's received, I made it light and very colourful. The background is a Hero Arts text stamp.

Wednesday, 16 December 2015

Today I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to my dear Inkspirational team-mate Carol. I really hope this card has beaten the Christmas post and made it across the Atlantic on time.

At this time of year I like to make birthday cards that could not be mistaken for Christmas cards! I used a squirrel stamp (new!!) from Clearly Besotted and a CB sentiment from another set. I used scraps of Cosmo Cricket paper and used just a tiny bit for some paper-piecing on the tail.

Monday, 14 December 2015

This is my DT card for our latest challenge at Make My Monday , 'Wings at Christmas'.

I used an image from A Day for Daisies - not specifically a Christmas image I don't think, but I thought the little sprigs she's holding could pass for mistletoe. I coloured her with markers, added lots of glitter to her wings and paper-pieced her dress. I stamped the sentiment and die-cut some mistletoe with liquid pearl berries. Yes, there is a liquid pearl smudge on one of the leaves - it is hardly noticeable in real-life but seems to have caught the light in the photo!

Sunday, 6 December 2015

I've used a Santa digi from Sassy Cheryl, coloured with alcohol markers. I used a digital version of Carta Bella Christmas Wonderland , which I 'print and cut' on the Silhouette. I added some gloss to the berries.

Saturday, 5 December 2015

I decided to make a picture of a lovely warm drink with a chocolate flake bar melting into it. I die cut the mug, snowflake and sentiment on the Silhouette electronic cutter but couldn't find a cutting file for a chocolate flake, so designed one myself. (I hope those of you who are familiar with the Cadbury's flake can recognise it!)

Our Guest Designer at Inkspirational this time is the hugely talented Jane Willis . I hope you'll come and see what she, and the DT have made, and join in the challenge.

Edited to say: I don't know how the word 'chocolate' got into the title - I only noticed after it was published ! It should say Inkspirational Challenge!!! But I will leave it as it is funny, I think.)

Thursday, 3 December 2015

This card uses two items from my Empty Box Project box . Both the banner and the bird were (different) magazine freebies. The papers I used were freebies too and I think the brad was part of a Secret Santa gift I got at my scrapbooking group years ago. So this is a cheep card! (Yes, I can spell - it's a pun!)

The bird isn't actually a Christmas stamp,so I paper-pieced it to make it look more Christmassy. But, although the paper pack says it's Christmas, when I think about it, this paper could easily be used for other occasions. Thank goodness I've got the words 'Christmas Wishes' on it, or you may not know it was a Chritmas card!

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About Me

My life isn’t perfect, but if I squint at it in a certain light, I can make it seem so.....
I am a teacher in a further education college. I live with my partner and we have an 10 year old son. I also have a grown up daughter and two grandsons aged 12 and 6 I have fantastic friends and family. I know I am very , very lucky!